Shabanie after top strikers

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
PREMIER Soccer League returnees Shabanie Mine are confident of signing the striking trio of Dylan Chivandire, Felix Kutswatuka and Farai Mupasiri as they wind up their pre-season preparations.

Shabanie Mine coach Taku Shariwa said his team lacks “firepower” and believes the experienced strikers will fit in well.

On Saturday, Shabanie Mine lost the third edition of the late Cephas George Msipa Scholarship Trust Charity soccer tournament 4-1 to cross town rivals FC Platinum after a penalty shootout at Maglas Stadium.

The match had ended in a 0-0 stalemate and Shariwa felt his team’s blunt front line cost them a positive result.

“We showed good progress against FC Platinum on Saturday and I feel we’re in the right direction. The combinations are coming up well and I think we’re getting there in terms of having a squad that will do duty for us this season.

“What we need are strikers because against FC Platinum we got to their goal area a lot, but lacked precision. The strikers I’m hoping to sign are Chivandire, Mupasiri and Kutswatuka,” Shariwa said.

Chivandire, a former Njube Sundowns striker, who has had a stint in Botswana, turned out for Tsholotsho FC last season, while Kutswatuka was at Bulawayo City for the second half of 2016.

Mupasiri was offloaded by Dynamos during the 2016 midseason transfer window and the lanky striker will be hoping to resuscitate his career in Zvishavane after his efforts to rejoin DeMbare in January hit a brick wall.

Shariwa, who says he is building a side that will survive relegation, indicated that most of his players were unheralded.

The former Mutare City Rovers gaffer, who replaced Tendai Chikuni at the beginning of the year, said he had a few experienced players that would guide the novices.

Among the players he will be depending on to guide the inexperienced lot are ex-Monomotapa and Mutare City defender Brian Mapfumo, former national team and Orlando Pirates defender Zvenyika Makonese, attackers Tapiwa Maduma, formerly with Herrentials, and Wellington Taderera, who had a stint with Kwekwe Sables.

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